GOV. CHARLIE BAKER ordered all state employees to be fully vaccinated by October 17 or face disciplinary action or dismissal, with exceptions only for those with medical disabilities or sincerely […]
Baker orders state employees to be vaccinated
Posted inThe Download
Varsity Blues cases heading toward court
Operation Varsity Blues keeps rolling along, as the US attorney’s office continues to rack up convictions using wiretap recordings of wealthy parents trying to buy “side door” access to elite […]
Posted inEducation
Some Varsity Blues parents seek day in court
OPERATION VARSITY BLUES keeps rolling along, as the US attorney’s office continues to rack up convictions using wiretap recordings of wealthy parents trying to buy “side door” access to elite […]
Posted inEducation
Poll shows strong support for school mask mandate
WHILE GOV. CHARLIE BAKER continues to resist imposing a statewide mask mandate for Massachusetts schools, new poll results show strong public support for such a measure. According to a new […]
Posted inEducation
Why adjunct professors matter
FOR FAMILIES INVESTING heavily in a college education for their children, there may be some tendency to think that tenured professors are the best teachers. After all, they have dedicated […]
Posted inTransportation
EJ communities need rep on new T board
DUE TO STRONG support from transit riders and workers, the Massachusetts Legislature recently took a huge step forward to ensure racial equity and environmental justice in the Commonwealth’s largest transit authority […]
Posted inState House News Service, Uncategorized
Baker backs $1b to reduce business UI costs
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE EMPLOYERS WOULD SEE their long-term obligation to replenish the state’s unemployment insurance fund cut by $1 billion under a proposal Gov. Charlie Baker made on Wednesday, […]
Posted inUncategorized
State scrambles to get federal money to former foster youth
FOR A YOUNG ADULT who has aged out of the foster care system, $3,200 can mean the ability to put a deposit on an apartment, purchase car insurance, or buy […]
Posted inThe Download
On gig economy ballot question, both sides are brawl-in
THERE WILL BE plenty of time for battling over the substance of the looming ballot question on gig workers. For now, the two sides are getting warmed up by hurling […]
Posted inEconomy
On gig economy ballot question, both sides are brawl-in
THERE WILL BE plenty of time for battling over the substance of the looming ballot question on gig workers. For now, the two sides are getting warmed up by hurling […]
Posted inOpinion
Britney Spears case isn’t illustrative of much
THE UNFORTUNATE experience Britney Spears has had under guardianship should not be construed to imply that all guardianship arrangements are abusive or exploitative. And the Spears case should not be […]
Posted inState House News Service, Uncategorized
20% increase in breakthrough cases
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE IN THE WEEK between August 7 and August 14, almost 2,700 fully vaccinated people became infected with COVID-19 in Massachusetts, the Department of Public Health said […]
Posted inArts and Culture
A new way to commission public art
MOST MASSACHUSETTS communities use the same process to commission public art as they do to pave a sidewalk or hire a streetsweeper. They put out a call for contractors, review […]
Posted inEducation
Mass. Teachers Assn. backs vaccine mandate
THE MASSACHUSETTS TEACHERS ASSOCIATION is embracing mandatory vaccinations for all employees and eligible students in public schools and colleges across the state, subject to collective bargaining agreements concerning those not […]
Posted inThe Download
In Kingston, dueling policies over masks
The Kingston Board of Health voted to require masks in schools last week and the following day the Kingston School Committee voted not to. The Board of Health has no […]
Posted inUncategorized
In Kingston, dueling policies over masks
THE KINGSTON BOARD of Health voted to require masks in schools last week and the following day the Kingston School Committee voted not to. The Board of Health has no […]
Posted inPolitics
Somerset seeing exodus of town officials
SOMERSET, a South Coast town caught in the spin cycle of a national debate over energy and climate, is now facing an exodus of municipal officials. Over the last three […]
Posted inOpinion
Mass. casinos returning to pre-pandemic revenue levels
THE STATE’S THREE gaming facilities reported strong revenues in July, with the numbers at Encore and MGM Springfield returning to pre-pandemic levels and the Plainridge Park slots facility trending in […]
Posted inHealth Care, Opinion
Why we need to support community health workers
MEDICAL VISITS are rarely straightforward. Add factors such as poverty, chronic stress, complex medical issues, functional impairment, and barriers to material needs, and caring for one’s well-being becomes exponentially more […]
Posted inThe Download
Weekend commuter rail off to good start
Weekend service on all of the MBTA’s commuter rail lines returned on July 3, and already ridership is back close to pre-COVID levels. Saturday ridership is roughly 77 percent of […]
Posted inTransportation
Weekend commuter rail off to good start
WEEKEND SERVICE on all of the MBTA’s commuter rail lines returned on July 3, and already ridership is back close to pre-COVID levels. Saturday ridership is roughly 77 percent of […]
Posted inUncategorized
Outdoor dining mixed bag for those with disabilities
THE PANDEMIC shift to patio seating has been a lifeline for restaurants and many patrons are embracing open-air dining. But for people with disabilities, the nearly-overnight redesign of the cityscape […]
Posted inOpinion
Is it true no one wants to work anymore?
AMRHEINS RESTAURANT in South Boston recently posted a notice on its door advising would-be patrons that it was not to be held responsible for the sub-par dining experience awaiting them […]
Posted inEconomy
Nonprofits carried us through the pandemic
PANDEMIC RESTRICTIONS have been lifted in Massachusetts. The crisis isn’t entirely over, but we can take stock of what has enabled us to come so far. And among the countless […]